Faith is only the beginning

I've been sick the last few days which has kept me from finishing this and posting it. My apologies. 

As you hopefully know, we've been reading through 2 Peter 1 lately. Not only that, we've come to understand that Peter's purpose in writing was to his audience so that they would GROW! Because we have the testimony of the apostles, the Scriptures, both Old and New - these testimonies are reminders call the believers to action. God has acted in the past according to His Word and we know what He will do in times to come, we should be growing! 

Peter says, "For this very reason, also, make every effort to add to your faith..." Faith is the starting point in becoming like Christ, it is that which makes us eligible to know Christ in the first place, and we cannot grow in Christ and grow to be like Him unless we know Him intimately. And we do that, through faith. And if faith is the starting point and there are things to be added, faith is not the conclusion of our relationship with God.

What then is to be added?

MORAL EXCELLENCE can be translated virtue, or goodness. It means the “proper fulfillment of anything.” For example, a knife is to cut, a light is to shine. This is what man is to do. Faith is not something you can have and put away. The proper outgrowing of faith is goodness.

Moreover, we have seen this already in verse 3 in reference to Christ’s excellence. It was by His own virtue (goodness) that He called us.

KNOWLEDGE, in the way that it is used here in Greek, is more along the lines of wisdom than book knowledge. It is the knowing between right decisions. When you are practicing goodness, wisdom will naturally follow.

SELF-CONTROL is the practical part of the knowledge mentioned above. When you know how to make right and wrong decisions, it will be easier to choose right because the answer will be clear to you. It is controlling your passions and not being controlled by them.

PERSEVERANCE is being patient and enduring in situations and with people. It’s not just taking everything that comes our way, uncaring. But through self-control and faith, etc. we begin to see all of our trials having their root in God’s will and can have the ability to stand firm in His will.

GODLINESS pertains to the right reverence of God, not just merely recognizing Him in our lives, but putting Him before all else. This has been seen before, also in verse 3 – that Christ has given us everything we need for godliness.

BROTHERLY KINDNESS is the next characteristic that a Christian should display. So far all the rest have been inward, dealing with one self’s relationship with God and the outworking of faith in their personal life. Now the Christian life is not meant to be lived in a box, without other people, but with a love for others. When God is placed first in our lives, a love for others, just as Christ loves all people, comes to the surface. I John 4:10 says that if anyone loves God but hates his brother, he is a liar. This brotherly love is manifested in kindness towards others, care and affection.

LOVE is the final quality Peter mentions. This is not like the brotherly love above, but a love that comes from within. Brotherly kindness is giving to others what is humanly due to them. Love is self-sacrificing and limitless. True love is the epitome of the Christian life. Love forgives, hopes, endures all things and is patient (1 Cor 13:4-8).

So what? Many of us have faith. We believe God at His Word. That He Is who He says He Is. That the Father and the Son are One (John 1:30). That Christ is the very image of the invisible Father (Col 1:15; John 14:7). And so on.

But are we growing? Jesus has said (in Matthew 7:15), 

"Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does no bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. This, by their fruit you will recognize them.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down and the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the stream rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

Don't be like the foolish man. Put into practice the words of the Lord. Add to your faith.